News + Updates
The latest at Blenderbox
Blenderbox wins 2 Anthem Awards
The winners of the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards have been officially announced and Blenderbox has won 2 silver awards in the Community Engagement Categories.
NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice selected in Sustainability, Environment & Climate – Public Service
WE NYC selected in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Public Service
Shipped: NYCEDC Drupal Upgrade
We partnered with NYCEDC to upgrade their site, microsites, and affiliated custom plugins to the latest secure version of Drupal 10. As part of the upgrade, we’ve developed DevOps pipelines, optimized hosting infrastructure, and enhanced the security of critical information intake forms.
Shipped: NYC MyCity Design System
We partnered with NYC OTI to deliver a future-state design system for the NYC MyCity platform. MyCity connects New Yorkers with City benefits and services in a single, user-friendly portal.
The extensive design library encompasses navigation systems, components, and templates for forms, applications, personalized dashboards, and content. The interface elements feature scalable accessibility states and responsive design patterns, enabling agencies and departments to effortlessly showcase their services while reducing accessibility barriers for everyday users. This initiative was deeply informed by user research with real New Yorkers to improve access for non-English speakers and users on mobile devices.
Event: Blenderbox sponsoring the NYC Technology Forum
Blenderbox will be a sponsor at this year’s New York City Technology Forum which takes place at the New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge on Nov 27th and 28th. The Forum brings together technology-focused public-sector professionals with leading industry partners to connect on innovative approaches, get inspired, and discover new technologies. We look forward to connecting with current and future NYC government clients and partners!
Blenderbox wins 5 Davey Awards
Winners of the 19th Annual Davey Awards have been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. The Davey Awards is an international award focused exclusively on honoring outstanding creative work from the best small teams from across the world across branded content, video, design & print, advertising & marketing, mobile, podcasts, social, and websites.
Blenderbox has been recognized for 5 projects:
Gold for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice in the Government category.
Silver for NYC Workforce Data Portal in the Government category
Silver for South Puget Sound Community College in the School University category
Silver for Carnegie Corporation of New York in the Social Responsibility category
Silver for RWJF State of Childhood Obesity in the Social Good category
Blenderbox wins 4 w3 Awards
The Winners of the 18th Annual w3 Awards have been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts and Blenderbox has been honored with recognition in multiple categories. Receiving thousands of entries annually from across the globe, the w3 Awards honors outstanding Websites, Online Marketing, Web Video, Mobile Sites and Apps, Social, Podcasts, and Emerging Tech created by some of the best digital content creators across the industry.
The Blenderbox awards include:
Gold for WE NYC in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion category.
Gold for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion category.
Silver for NYC Workforce Data Portal in the Government category
Silver for South Puget Sound Community College in the School University category
Blenderbox is a Summit Awards Top Agency
Blenderbox has achieved a remarkable milestone by securing the coveted Top Agency Award at the esteemed 2023 Summit Creative Award competition. In its 29th year, the award is a symbol of creative excellence and serves as a global platform to recognize outstanding work. This year’s panel of international judges, representing over a dozen countries across five continents, meticulously evaluated entries in 16 major categories. Their blind judging process aimed to recognize inventive concepts, compelling executions, impactful user experiences, and effective communication.
In addition to the Top Agency award, the following Blenderbox projects were also awarded:
Gold for Blenderbox in the Industry Self-Promotion category.
Gold for NYC Workforce Data Portal in the Government category
Bronze for EquityNYC in the Government category
Silver for IFES in the Nonprofit category
Launch: WE NYC
We partnered with NYC Small Business Services to refresh and update the WE NYC website. We launched the original version of this site with NYC SBS in 2016 along with the new brand identity for WE NYC. This new site was created to align with the current strategic goals of the agency and to better serve their users. It presents the programs, services, events, and resources available to women entrepreneurs in New York City, with the goal of empowering women to start, operate, and grow businesses.
NYC Climate and Environmental Justice wins 3 Web Excellence Awards
The winners of the 9th Annual Web Excellence Awards have been announced. The Web Excellence Awards, a leading international interactive web awards competition, highlights the “best of the best” on the web. Selected from 1,350 entries from 29 countries worldwide, our work on the website for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice website has been recognized with 3 awards in the categories of Government, Citizen Engagement, and Sustainability. With a focus on equity and public health, the Mayor’s Office for Climate and Environmental Justice leads New York City’s strategy to confront our climate crisis.
EnrollWise OUSD wins 2 Web Excellence Awards
The winners of the 9th Annual Web Excellence Awards have been announced. The Web Excellence Awards, a leading international awards competition, highlights the “best of the best” on the web. Our EnrollWise School Directory for the Oakland Unified School District has won Awards of Excellence in the categories of Education and E-Government. Created by Blenderbox, EnrollWise is a human-centered edtech platform for school admissions and enrollment.
NYC Climate and Environmental Justice wins 2 Communicator Awards
The winners of the 29th Annual Communicator Awards have officially been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. Selected from 3,000 entries received from across the US and around the world, our work on the website for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice website has won 2 Communicator Awards; an Award of Excellence in the category of Sustainability, and an Award of Distinction in the category of Government. With a focus on equity and public health, the Mayor’s Office for Climate and Environmental Justice leads New York City’s strategy to confront our climate crisis.
NYBCe wins 3 Communicator Awards
The winners of the 29th Annual Communicator Awards have officially been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. Selected from 3,000 entries received from across the US and around the world, our work on the New York Blood Center Enterprises website has won 3 Communicator Awards of Excellence in the categories of Health & Wellness, Medical & Pharmaceutical, and Non-Profit. Internationally recognized for their high humanitarian impact, NYBCe delivers lifesaving blood products, specialty pharmaceuticals, and high-quality clinical, technical, testing, and consultative services to healthcare providers and patients.
State of Childhood Obesity is a Communicator Awards Winner
The winners of the 29th Annual Communicator Awards have officially been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. With around 3,000 entries received from across the US and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence. Our work on the State of Childhood Obesity website for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has won a Communicator Award of Excellence in the category of Causes & Awareness. The organization collects and synthesizes the best-available data on childhood obesity rates and makes recommendations on key policies that help to prevent obesity.
IFES is a Communicator Awards Winner
The winners of the 29th Annual Communicator Awards have officially been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. With around 3,000 entries received from across the US and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence. Our work on the website for IFES (International Foundation for Electoral Systems) has won a Communicator Award of Excellence in the category of Non-Profit. IFES advances democracy for a better future. Over the past three decades, they have brought together thousands of experts to provide technical assistance to election officials, empower the underrepresented to participate in the political process and apply field-based research to improve the electoral cycle.
EnrollWise is a Communicator Awards Winner
The winners of the 29th Annual Communicator Awards have officially been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. Our EnrollWise School Directory for the Oakland Unified School District has won a Communicator Award of Excellence in the category of Education. Created by Blenderbox, EnrollWise is a human-centered edtech platform for school admissions and enrollment. With around 3,000 entries received from across the US and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence.
EnrollWise is a Webby Awards Honoree
Our EnrollWise School Directory for the Oakland Unified School District has been recognized as a Webby Honoree in the category of Software Services & Platforms – Learning & Education. Created by Blenderbox, EnrollWise is a human-centered edtech platform for TK-12 public school admissions and enrollment. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet. Earning the distinction of Webby Honoree is a significant achievement—granted to only the top 20% of of the nearly 14,000 projects entered in the 27th Annual Webby Awards.
EquityNYC is a Webby Awards Honoree
EquityNYC, a data-driven website to track racial and social equity metrics in New York City has been recognized as a Webby Honoree in the category of Websites and Mobile Sites – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet. Earning the distinction of Webby Honoree is a significant achievement—granted to only the top 20% of of the nearly 14,000 projects entered in the 27th Annual Webby Awards.
Shipped: NYC Business Services User Research
We were engaged by NYC OTI and NYC Small Business Services to conduct user research with business owners operating in New York City. The insights we gathered became the foundation for developing MyCity Business—an online portal for business owners to access City resources and services.
We conducted 29 one-on-one sessions, gathering over 1,200 valuable insights. Our participants were a diverse mix of people, representing all five boroughs, with varying languages spoken and backgrounds, including immigrants. After analyzing the data, we identified trends that formed the basis for a final report, visual concepts, a customer journey map, and a list of technical requirements.
EquityNYC is an Anthem Award winner
EquityNYC, a data-driven website to track racial and social equity metrics in New York City has won an Anthem award in the category of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Digital & Innovative Experiences. The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. The project was a collaboration between Blenderbox and the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity.
MySchools NYC is an Anthem Award winner
MySchools NYC, the online enrollment platform for the City public school system, has won an Anthem award in the category of Education, Art & Culture – Innovation. The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide. The project was a collaboration between Blenderbox and the NYC DOE, and the platform serves over 1.1 million students in more than 1,800 schools.
Event: Blenderbox and NYC CX
We were invited by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Efficiency to bring our expertise in user research for digital products to an event promoting ways in which City agencies can deliver better Customer Experience to all citizens of New York. The event took place at World Trade Center with every agency’s Chief Performance Officer (CPO) in attendance. The CX goals for the City include reducing the regulatory burden or reducing requirements needed for New Yorkers to access agency services, as well as finding ways to solicit and address feedback from New Yorkers to inform improvements. We ran a table with information about the benefits of bringing in a neutral third party to user-test digital products and execute recommended changes. We also advised on the types of research that are beneficial, especially when it comes to building inclusive, accessible and human-centered digital products.
Launch: New York Blood Center Enterprises
Blenderbox has helped New York Blood Center, a fast-growing national blood donation and research center, reorganize its divisional websites with the launch of a new website dedicated to its parent organization—New York Blood Center Enterprises. This parent site is a key part of a WordPress Multisite Network, which allows their team to manage complex content governance workflows designed to serve web content to their diverse audiences through action-oriented conversion funnels.
Launch: Oakland Unified School District + EnrollWise
Blenderbox is proud to add Oakland Unified School District to our prestigious roster of public school districts using our flagship product—EnrollWise—to advance equity, agency, and accessibility for all families in their admissions process. Nearly 50,000 students can now choose among 80 schools across Oakland via the EnrollWise-powered Choose OUSD website.
EnrollWise is a best-in-class admissions and enrollment platform for public school districts that empowers families to make informed decisions and allows schools to perform fair and equitable student placements.
Launch: NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
With the new administration came the consolidation of several climate-related City Agencies and initiatives into one new one: The Mayor’s Office for Climate and Environmental Justice. We partnered with the Agency to define, design and develop their new website. The project started with discovery and a comprehensive content audit, followed by the creation of a new content strategy to align the new site with their goals and objectives. The site is built on WordPress and designed with scalability and accessibility in mind.
Launch: State of Childhood Obesity
The State of Childhood Obesity is an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It synthesizes the best-available data, showcases success stories, and makes policy recommendations around obesity prevention. As public awareness has grown, the tools, data and reports needed to affect change have shifted. Blenderbox has helped RWJF respond to those changing needs with a redesign of this award-winning program website to improve usability on both the public-facing site as well as behind the scenes in the content management system.
Mapping EquityNYC wins Gold W3 Award
Mapping Equity, a data-driven, map-based experience to track racial and social equity metrics in New York City has won a W3 award in the Government category. The W3 awards are sanctioned by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA), an assembly of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.
The site shows a geographic picture of New Yorkers’ quality of life, where City services are located, the neighborhoods where people who receive City services live, and general characteristics about NYC’s population. The project was a collaboration between Blenderbox and the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, and is an extension of the EquityNYC website, which launched in early 2021.
Launch: International Foundation for Electoral Systems
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is a global leader in promotion and protection of democracy. After an in-depth discovery to audit and evaluate the organization’s business requirements and objectives, we delivered a completely re-architected and re-designed site that runs on a robust and scalable Drupal CMS, and which provides the IFES team with powerful editorial tools to manage their online presence.